Number Five Wisteria Walk
by Triscribe
Summary: The Hogwarts acceptance letter in this world for a certain Boy-Who-Lived didn't go to Privet Drive; instead, it was addressed to Mister Harry Potter, Upstairs Bedroom, Number 5 Wisteria Walk, Little Whinging, Surrey.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

She was waiting in the shadows across the street when Dumbledore finally arrived.

"Ah, my dear Arabella, have you checked upon the Dursleys as I asked?" How the man managed to smile and twinkle at a time like this, Arabella Figg would never understand.

"Yes, Albus, and I have to say that they seem to be wholly unsuitable for raising-"

"Now now, my dear, there is no telling as of yet what sort of guardians Petunia and her husband may be." Dumbledore chided her softly. "And sadly, we have no choice in the matter regardless. Harry will only be truly safe, and able to live a normal childhood, if he is hidden away with his muggle relatives."

Arabella had to bite her tongue to keep from arguing the point further, and was saved from making any unsavory comments by the arrival of a rather large man on a flying motorcycle.

It was hard, seeing how choked with emotion Hagrid became, when he had to hand little Harry over to the Headmaster. Arabella looked on sadly, again forcing her anger down as the man set the tiny, precious bundle on the front step with nothing more than a Warming charm and a carefully written note. Hagrid blew his nose rather noisily, before departing on the motorcycle. Dumbledore offered her a brief pat on the shoulder, and then Apparated away.

There were a few minutes of indecision as Arabella stood by the curb, warring with her orders to return to the newly purchased house on Wisteria Walk, and her instincts to protect a child oh so recently orphaned do to no true fault of his own.

In the end, she wound up tip-toeing to the front step of Number Four, and scooped up the still sleeping babe before hurrying off into the night.

-N5WW-

Arabella spent the first few days on edge over whether she'd be discovered and ousted of her new home, little Harry sent for the second time to his horrid relatives. But with no messages from Albus, or invasions by Aurors, or indeed anyone from the Wizarding World so much as sending her a Floo Call, the woman began to lose her anxiety over the situation.

Only for it to be replaced by new fears, those concerning the matters of raising a child. She was getting on in her years, sadly, and keeping up with a human toddler was infinitely more difficult than looking in on the litters of kittens her cats and kneazles periodically would produce. And then, inspiration struck - Arabella knew raising Harry by herself would be a monumental undertaking, so she decided to take a hint from her beloved animals.

On the third morning after disobeying Albus' orders, Arabella penned a couple letters to a pair of people she was confident would side with her in the matter of Harry's upbringing: young Remus Lupin, and Minerva McGonagall.

-N5WW-

The first time that Remus babysat for Arabella, he nearly had a heart attack every time little Harry tugged on the tail of one of the numerous felines in the Figg household. He kept having visions of snarling animals whipping about in a fury, claws slashing and blood pouring. But, time and again the man didn't witness his unpleasant prediction occur. Arabella's animals were perfectly aware that they were being played with by a human kitten, and as such didn't bother to attack him for it: when their tolerance reached its end, the respective cat or kneazle stood up and walked away, prompting Harry's attention to turn to the next nearest creature.

It really was quite harrowing for poor Remus. Not exactly on the same level as dueling Death Eaters, but definitely up close to it.

-N5WW-

On the first occasion that Minerva babysat, she promptly Scourgified a spot on the settee, settled herself down with Harry on her lap and opened up a photo album in front of the two of them. The little boy promptly squealed with delight upon seeing a picture of his parents, smiling and waving up at him. Later, Minerva would claim the sound as being one of the few things still capable of moving her to tears.

Once they'd finished with the album, the woman's inner Hogwarts professor made an appearance, and the remainder of the afternoon was spent going through some beginner's picture books of Hogwarts lessons - simple rhymes and other such reading that helped children get a better idea of what they would learning at the school. Perhaps it was a bit over the head of a child not yet a year and a half old, but Minerva was determined to get him an early start.

And, quite possibly, instill in the boy an appreciation for learning that his father seemed to have completely disregarded the majority of his time spent at Hogwarts...

-N5WW-

When Harry's second birthday rolled around, Arabella and her two helpers fixed an assortment of treats that appealed to both the toddler and themselves, decorated the living room with streamers, banners and will-o'-wisp lights, and gave the boy a pile of gifts almost as tall as he was.

Remus had gotten him a pair of wizarding children's books, one describing the four Hogwarts Houses and the other an adventure about a young witch and her friendly dragon. Minerva got the lad a stuffed lion, one wearing a red and gold bowtie, and refused to back down even when Arabella sent her a skeptical look. The Transfiguration professor also gifted Harry a set of pajamas that became a different color each night, and a few little toys she'd picked up in Diagon Alley on a whim. Arabella, not having the same access to magical items that the other two did, had gone and put together a homemade toy kitchen for the toddler to play with, which Remus enchanted just before the small party to generate real noises and smells. Harry loved it immediately, giggling as everything he did with the little spoons and whisks and pots made different reactions. The adults were entertained just watching him explore it all - though even they had to laugh when one especially curious cat tapped at the miniature tea pot, and leapt a clear five feet away when the thing began to whistle.

"Thank you both, for all of this, for everything," Arabella tried to say at the end of the evening, when she'd finally put Harry to bed and was cleaning up alongside the witch and wizard.

"It was our pleasure, dear." Minerva replied, smiling.

"We're both just grateful you've let us into Harry's life again." Remus added, banishing the torn wrapping paper. "It's certainly more than the Headmaster would have done."

The squib woman frowned at that, glancing towards the stairs. "Indeed... I wonder, sometimes, how Harry would be faring in his Aunt's household right now, if I'd gone along with Albus and left him there..."

"It's not worth thinking about, Arabella." Minerva grasped her shoulder. "Regardless of how it _might_ have been, what matters now is how he fares in _this_ life. And from what you told us of those Dursleys, I have to say I'm quite glad you kept Harry from falling in with them."

"He's happy here," Remus added as he came up to pat her on the other arm. "That's what's important."

"Yes, it is." Arabella smiled tearfully at them both. They all returned to work, then, and soon enough the two magical folk were bidding their host goodnight. As soon as they'd left, Arabella went upstairs herself. Before turning into bed, though, she tip-toed into Harry's little room, and spent a few minutes just stroking a hand through the boy's messy black locks.

"You're happy here." She murmured. "And safe. And I'll be damned before I let anyone interfere with either of those things, little one."

-N5WW-

The following years had their ups and downs for the small family. Harry's spurts of accidental magic got more common, and more impressive (most memorable was perhaps the time he managed float the entire settee several feet off the ground in order to retrieve a toy from beneath it). Arabella eventually had to enroll him in the local primary school, but for security's sake used the name Harold Figg. There were a few instances when she had to be called down to the headmaster's office, because Harry got in trouble for fighting - every time, it was the same story: someone mentioned the 'crazy old cat lady' on Wisteria Walk, and the little boy couldn't help but stick up for his Nanna. This unfortunately meant Harry didn't make more than one or two friends during his time at school, instead retreating into books and drawings.

Not just any books, though. Remus and Minerva continued to visit all through this time, bringing with them stories and knowledge of the wizarding world, ensuring that Harry knew all about the society that he'd one day become part of. Arabella was grateful for this, as her own status as a squib kept the woman from being truly part of the world she'd been born into.

There was also the matter of her income; thanks to Minerva putting in a good word and Remus helping with transportation, Arabella was able to sell her kneazle crossbreeds directly to pet stores across wizarding Britain instead of only other breeders or individual households. This increase in her profits led to the woman opening an account at Gringotts, making the trip in the company of both Remus and Harry, the latter suitably disguised, of course. However, while at the bank, one of the goblins still managed to recognize the boy by his scar - and by the time they left, a meeting had been had with the manager of the Potter and Evans accounts, monthly transfers set up between Harry's trust vault to Arabella's, and a key given into the squib woman's keeping until such time as Harry was old enough to have it himself.

That day remained as a truly memorable one in Arabella Figg's mind for a great long while, but it was another, slightly more than a year later, that marked a true turning point in young Harry's life...

-N5WW-

"Oh, Mummy, look at the kitten! Can I go pet it?"

"No, Ginevra, we aren't going into the store to play with the animals." Her Mum said sternly. "Now hold on- twins! Stop that!"

Ginny sighed wistfully as she peered in the pet shop window. The little orange tabby cat just looked so cute, tapping at the glass as though inviting her to come in. Even as she watched, though, a boy her age with messy black hair and round spectacles walked up to the pen inside, and picked up the very kitten Ginny had been watching. She sighed again as he walked away, mournfully this time. Nothing ever went her way...

"Excuse me?" Turning, Ginny blinked with surprise to realize the same boy was now standing just outside the shop door, holding the squirming kitten in his hands. "Do you want to pet him?"

"Ye-es!" Not bothering to see where her Mum and brothers had gone, Ginny skipped over and cooed over the fluffy orange animal as she stroked a finger through his fur. "Ohhh! I wish I could take him home!"

"Don't you get pets at your house?" The boy asked her.

"There's Scabbers, he's my brother Percy's rat, but no one gets to play with him but Perce. And Errol, but he's an owl, an' no fun."

"Oh. My Nanna and I have lots and lots and lots of cats and kneazles - she breeds 'em, see, and we sell 'em to shops all over Britain!" The pride in the boy's voice was obvious, and Ginny wished she could say something equally amazing about her family.

"You're really lucky," was what came out instead.

"Yeah. Hey, do you want to come over some time and see 'em all? I don't have many friends back home who like to come inside..."

"I'd love to!" Ginny beamed. "What's your Floo add-er-ess?"

"Number five Wisteria Walk! You can come any afternoon between three and five o'clock, if you want."

"That's great! I'll ask my Mum! Oh, and what's your name?"

"Harold, but people call me Harry too. I live with my Nanna, Arabella Figg."

"Brill! I'm Ginny, and I live with my Mum and Dad and six big brothers!"

Harold's eyes got really wide. " _Six_ brothers? And they're all older than you?"

"Yeah." Ginny made a stink-face, and her new friend giggled.

"Then you do know what it's like to have a bunch of animals in the house - that's what my Nanna would say." They both laughed, and then an old woman was calling Harold back into the shop, at the same time that Ginny's Mum was gathering all the boys together again.

"I'll ask Mum if I can come over tomorrow - bye, Harold!"

"Bye Ginny!" With that, the redheaded five year old dashed back to her family, excitedly chattering about the new friend she'd made and how he raised kitties and was going to let her come over to pet them all. Her words got a bit lost in the bustle of the Weasley family, but she repeated them all to her parents and brothers again that night at dinner.

"How old is this friend, Ginny?" Her Dad frowned.

"I don't know. But he was the same size as me!"

"Five or six, then." Bill said, further up the table. "Probably orphaned by the war, too, if he lives with his grandmother."

"Now Bill, you don't know that for certain." Their Mum waggled a spoon at him. "But I'll probably find out whenever I take Ginny over for a playdate - I have to meet the woman, after all. What did you say her name was, dear?"

"Ara-somethin' Figg."

Her Dad blinked. "Figg? As in Arabella? I remember her from the O- from the war. But I thought she'd never married?"

"Well, the boy might be a great-nephew or some such relation, Arthur. Regardless, as I said before, I'm sure I'll find out all the details when we visit."

"Tomorrow, Mummy?"

"Oh, yes, fine, tomorrow it is, Ginny." The girl spent the rest of that night with a smile on her face.

 _A/N: IMPORTANT NOTICE_

 _This story is part of my HP Round Table Project. Every Thursday, I'm updating a different onf of seven Harry Potter AUs, so that over the course of seven weeks they all get a new chapter (since I have a history of losing inspiration and letting stuff sit stagnant for months at a time). After the first seven week period, I start over, but the order in which these stories are updated changes depending on what was the most popular during the previous chunk of time._

 _So, if you really like this or one of the others, be sure to let me know!_

 _-Triscribe_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

One cold, dreary December morning in 1988, Harry was nearly jumping up and down as he waited by the fireplace. All of a sudden, the flames turned green, and his best friend tumbled out onto the carpet. Ginny popped back to her feet in the blink of an eye, looking towards him eagerly.

"Has it happened?" She asked. "Did I miss it?"

"No! You're just in time, come on!" He led the way upstairs, down the hall and into his room. Nanna Figg was crouched by Harry's closet, and held a finger up to her lips as the children came closer.

"The first one's about to come out," she whispered, shuffling back a step to make room. Inside the small space, a grey and white tortoise-shell cat had made herself a nest out of one of Harry's old raincoats and an extra bedsheet, ignoring the humans as she laid inside it. As they watched, she stretched and pushed, and out came a little brown kitten.

Less than an hour later, two more babies had been born and licked clean, the trio nursing contentedly from their mother. The first had black stripes and patches to go with his dark brown fur, while the second looked just like their mother, and the third was a pale, smoky grey. Awed, Ginny had refused to budge until the whole thing was over, which was when Nanna Figg departed for downstairs to make some tea and sandwiches.

"And you get to see this all the time?" The girl asked as she and Harry left the room.

He shrugged. "Not really. The mums like to find quiet places to have their kittens, and we don't always find them 'til afterward. This time we just got lucky - I knew Treble had made a nest in my closet, and had that letter just ready and waiting to send to you for when she went into labor."

"I'm glad you did, Harry, that was amazing!" Ginny grinned and jumped off the last couple steps. The boy hopped after her, and then they raced to the kitchen, dodging milling felines as they went. Nanna Figg had a plate of cheese and crackers ready for them, and promptly sent the pair back to Harry's playroom at the back of the house.

"Did you finish your list?" He asked the seven year old.

"Almost." Reaching into her back pocket, Ginny pulled out a folded piece of parchment and spread it across the floor. Ignoring the couple of cats that promptly came over to sniff at it, she started to read aloud. "For Dad: an old ironing tool and table. For Mum: a picture frame painted by me. For Bill: a muggle flashlight. For Charlie: a dragon pendant. For the twins: some muggle firecrackers. For Ron: a bag of muggle sweets." She looked up at her friend. "I still can't think of anything for Percy or my friend Luna."

"Well... I don't know about Luna, but Percy wants to be prefect in a few years, right? Maybe we could find something in the muggle shops that help him get it."

"Like what?"

"Maybe a calendar or homework planner? Something that goes for two or three years, that'll let him look ahead."

Ginny nodded slowly. "That's a good idea. And if we see anything really odd or brightly colored, that would work for Luna. She likes strange things."

"Okay then, Nanna and I were planning another trip to the shops this weekend if you want to come. Saturday afternoon?"

"I'll ask Mum." Reaching for the snack platter, Ginny started as her hand instead encountered extremely fluffy fur. "Oh, hello Pickles!"

The calico meowed at her, quickly slipping into the girl's lap and making herself comfortable. Barely more than a kitten when Ginny first started coming over to the Figg household a couple years before, Pickles had swiftly attached herself to the redhead and would always find a way to end up perched upon her.

"Hey, I just thought - where's my name on that Christmas list?" Harry suddenly teased.

"I can't put yours on there! I want it to be a surprise!" Ginny protested, giggling. Her friend spent the next ten minutes pretending to pout and wheedle it out of her, but the girl stayed firm and ignored his efforts.

When the twenty fifth of December rolled around a couple weeks later, both children ended up surprising each other. Ginny came over in the evening to deliver three presents: a collection of magical postcards for Harry that he was quite excited over, a recipe book for Nanna Figg, and a bag of treats that had every single feline in the house coming to rub against her ankles over.

Then came Harry's present to Ginny: a cat collar with a tag the read 'Pickles' on the front, and 'The Burrow' on the back. When the girl looked up from it with an expression of shock on her face, he also deposited the happily meowing calico into her arms. Nanna Figg's present ended up being the essential supplies for keeping such a familiar - enchanted litter box, a couple of cat flap doors that would install themselves, and a sack with an Expansion Charm on it that carried enough food to last Pickles a month. And for the rest of the Weasley's, she included a selection of coupons to assorted Diagon Alley stores.

When Ginny returned to the Burrow with her new pet and everything else, the whole family came over to exclaim over the animal. Pickles took an instant liking to Ginny's parents and most of her brothers, but hissed whenever Percy came too close and utterly ignored the twins. Ron seemed quite surprised when she chose to settle down on the sofa between him and Ginny, inviting petting from both of them, but wound up just being pleased that the cat was willing to acknowledge him.

After her children had all gone to bed that night, Molly Weasley put a Floo call through to Arabella, who'd been expecting it. "I hope you don't mind the new addition to your household, Molly. When Harry decided it was time he gave Ginny one of our cats, nothing I said could dissuade him-"

"It's fine, dear, really." The redhaired woman smiled tearfully. "I daresay it's the sweetest thing you could have given her, and us. I'm only sorry you couldn't join us here for it."

"Yes, well, you and Arthur might know the truth about Harry, but I don't want to risk any of the children finding out and treating him differently because of it."

"I understand completely, Arabella."

-N5WW-

After the New Year holidays, Ginny asked if she could bring someone with her to the Figg household for an afternoon playdate. That was the day Harry got to finally meet Luna Lovegood, and also learned that there were, in fact, far stranger people in the world than he.

Still, odd as the new girl might have presented herself, she was fun to interact with - and the cats loved her too. Luna was perfectly polite to Nanna Figg, never posed the slightest protest when her multi-colored dress became covered in hairs, and even helped track down three different socks Harry had misplaced in recent months.

"She's fun," Harry stated once the blonde girl had departed through the Floo. Ginny grinned, glad that her two friends had hit it off. Pickles meowed in agreement from where she sat draped across the redhead's shoulders.

-N5WW-

The following summer, Remus agreed to take all three kids on a trip to Diagon Alley. Both Harry and Ginny were eager to look through Quality Quidditch Supplies, but also happily followed Luna into the Exotic Arcanery Emporium. It was on the next stop, though, that the trio gained a new friend for their group.

"Alright, each of you can get two books," Remus barely had time to finish his statement before the children took off, spreading out to find their prefered reading material: Luna off for the obscure shelves, Ginny to the adventure fiction section, and Harry into a row featuring tomes describing magical places all around the planet. He briefly nodded to another boy looking over the same books, but otherwise ignored him while browsing. When Harry's fingers brushed on the spine of an encyclopedia of ancient civilizations, however, the other child spoke.

"Considering travelling, are you?"

"Maybe," Harry replied, turning to look at him. "Going to have to get through school first, though."

The stranger nodded. "Hogwarts?"

"Yep. You?"

"The same. Though my father's been seriously considering Durmstrang instead."

"Oh? But that's a lot further away - can't visit home as easily for the holidays, I'd imagine."

The other boy simply shrugged. "My father's not one for annual celebrations anyway. And it might be worth it, to get me away from certain others who'll be arriving at Hogwarts the same time as me."

"When's that going to be?"

"In three years."

"Brill!" Harry grinned. "That's when I'm going too! My best friends are both a year younger than me, though, and I was a bit worried about starting up without knowing anyone there. Got any idea what House you want to be in?" He was blinked at, as if the other boy were a bit startled by Harry's sudden enthusiasm. Though, an answer was forthcoming soon enough.

"Slytherin. It's what my family line's always been in, excepting the odd Ravenclaw. And yourself?"

"Well, both my parents were apparently in Gryffindor, but I'd like to be a Ravenclaw myself, I think," Harry shrugged sheepishly. "I'm a lot better at reading a book a day than making new friends."

"I see." The stranger contemplated him a bit longer, then stuck out a hand to shake. "Theodore Nott, but I'm usually called Theo."

"Harold Figg, but most people call me Harry." He returned the grip, before gesturing to the bookcase. "So what were you looking at earlier?"

"Nothing in particular. I'm simply browsing until my father's ready to leave."

"Well, I'm allowed to pick out two to get, and you can help me if you want. Are you doing anything after this? My friends and I are all going to get ice cream next, and I can probably get Uncle Remus to let you come to."

Theo blinked again, as startled as before. "That- um, alright. I don't think Father will need me - I can ask, anyway."

"Great! Even if he says no, maybe we can get together another time; my Nanna lets me have my friends over a lot, but you have to like cats..."

-N5WW-

"So, Tigger, Double and Spectre are Treble's children, making them the older cousins of Queen Victoria's litter," Theo said. "But since Spectre and Misty are identical, we theorize that they're both Willard's children, making those two half-siblings and their respective littermates step-siblings - right?"

"That just about wraps it up!" Harry laughed, lifting up a kitten that had been steadily climbing his shirt, and handing the little furball over to his friend. Luna was lying on the floor between them, limbs splayed out and wearing a serene smile as the rest of the litter played around and on top of her. Sitting nearby, Ginny had a sketchpad balanced on her knees and was attempting to draw the scene.

Eventually, she huffed and threw down the pencil. "Drat it all, I can't make it look right."

"Can I see, Ginny?" Harry took the pad and looked over the rough sketch his friend had made. "It looks great to me."

"But it's nowhere near as good as the stuff you draw!" The boy's art pieces were of the highest quality for a nine year old, something that bugged Ginny to no end because she couldn't get the same results with her own endeavors.

"Yeah, but I've also had a lot more practice than you." He handed back the sketchpad and smiled encouragingly at her. "You'll get there."

"If you say so..."

"Look at it this way, Ginny - you're already a far better artist than I am." Theo told her. That got a smirk out of the girl, and she flipped to a new page to start another drawing.

-N5WW-

"And you don't have any choice in spending time with them?" Ginny asked, aghast.

"None. I didn't care so much when I was younger, but now I'd rather play with you lot than put up with those idiots." Theo pulled a similarly disgusted face, causing Harry to snicker.

"On the bright side, the time you spend with us is that much more enjoyable by comparison." Luna pointed out.

"Can't argue with that, I suppose."

The four of them had gone to the local playground that day in order to enjoy the unseasonably pleasant weather, something that Harry and Ginny had done in years past with Nanna Figg accompanying them, but on this occasion the four children were allowed to go by themselves. There were plenty of muggle children around as well, but most of them ignored the group, recognizing 'barmy Harry' and his redheaded friend as kids to avoid.

Not that the four were particularly torn up about this. It gave them the freedom to add wizarding terms into their play, and not worry about revealing themselves to the muggles. Their carefree afternoon came to a crashing halt, though, when one boy in particular spotted the little group.

A boy by the name of Dudley Dursley.

"Hey, Figgy-pudding!" Harry immediately stiffened, turning on his heel with a glare. Ginny actually growled beside him, causing Luna and Theo to exchange startled looks.

"What do you want, Dursley?" Approaching them was a rather rotund youth, backed up by three other large boys. None of them looked interested in joining the game of Dragons versus Wizards.

"I want you off my playground, Figgy." Dursley sneered, getting right in Harry's face. "None of us want you freaks around."

"Well that's too bad, because we aren't going anywhere." Ginny snorted, crossing her arms.

"Yeah," Theo added nervously, stepping up beside his friends. Luna joined them too, and the four stared down the group of bullies. Someone broke the stalemate, and then chaos erupted.

A few minutes later, despite being dirt-stained and disheveled, it was the magical children who watched triumphantly as their adversaries fled. They didn't feel quite so proud by that evening, however, as the bruises from punches and kicks began to manifest. All the children were grounded by their respective parents and caretakers, and didn't get to see one another again for several days.

When each was able to talk to Harry, though, he informed them with a grin that Dudley Dursley and his gang avoided him like the plague ever since the playground battle.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

For Harry's eleventh birthday, Minerva and Remus rather outdid themselves. Muggle-repelling and notice-me-not charms were erected over the backyard of Number Five, followed by the space shielded by them to be turned into a visual winter wonderland. The actual temperature was not overly cooled, so the children could remain in their summerweight clothes, but there were great heaps of snow to play with, a small frozen-over pond to skate on, and a maze of ice barriers to explore. Harry was thoroughly delighted not just in watching the transfigurations take place, but also in getting to see the expressions of awe on all his guests' faces when they arrived.

As for the guest list, it of course included his three closest friends Ginny, Luna, and Theo, but also some others that Arabella had agreed to inviting. Arthur and Molly came with their three youngest sons as well as their daughter, since the boys were eager to finally meet this best friend their baby sister had kept to herself for five years. Luna's father also came, though he had a bit of a hard time interacting with others, as the man had never been quite the same as his old, personable self since his wife's death a couple years before (Luna practically lived at the Figg household while Xenophilius recovered himself in the months after the tragic accident). There was also a boy by the name of Blaise Zabini, whom Theo was relatively close to thanks to encounters in the pureblood circles and who was there on an invitation extended through the Nott boy. He'd mentioned to Harry and the girls one day that Blaise was one of the few decently interesting kids he got to talk to at high brow parties, yet also one of the loneliest since he was technically a halfblood, and therefore sneered at by more than a few of their agemates. Something about that struck a chord within Harry, and so the other eleven year was welcomed at the birthday party.

This also caused the happy side effect of there being four to each side when the children decided to start the inevitable snowball fight. There wound up being several rounds, with every arrangement of teams possible: the Weasleys versus the others; the four soon to be first year boys against the twins and the girls; Harry, Ginny, Theo and Fred battling Luna, Blaise, Ron and George.

Watching from the safety of the shielded back step, the adults cheered them all on. Sadly, this just meant that when the children grew tired of battling each other, they turned their attention to the grown-ups who'd yet to have gotten into the snow. _That_ particular fight began with a carefully timed ambush, consisting of all eight little devils dashing into the shielded area in order to launch snowballs up into their parents and guardians' faces. Remus, Arthur and Arabella all laughed while the others spluttered, and then the children were sent fleeing when Minerva and Molly worked together to conjure up several large snowmen that were sent to seek vengeance.

All in all, it was a good day. Made all the better when the Transfiguration Mistress produced Harry's Hogwarts letter from her pocket as his final present.

-N5WW-

"Thank you for allowing me to accompany you and Harry, Mrs. Figg."

"Oh nonsense, Theo, it's always a pleasure to have you around. I'm actually quite selfishly pleased that your father was called off on business." The look on his friend's face made Harry think that Theo was pretty pleased about it, too. He didn't know what made the pair of elder and younger Notts get along so poorly, but whatever it was, he didn't mind taking advantage if it meant the two boys got to spend more time together.

Ginny had been rather put out over not getting to go on the school shopping trip with them as well, but was grounded for slipping gnomes out of the garden and into her brother Percy's bed. She _would_ have blamed it on the twins and probably gotten clean away, if her mum hadn't come into the room at exactly the wrong moment.

"Well now, if it's alright with you boys, I think we'd best start by putting in an order for your uniforms, then go get most other things while we wait for them to be made." That said, Nanna Figg led them to Madam Malkin's, where all she had to tell the seamstress witch was that the pair were about to start Hogwarts and the woman whisked them away. Harry and Theo were immediately set upon dual stools so that their measurements could be taken with enchanted tapes, just like the pale haired boy already there.

"Nott. Preparing for Hogwarts already, I see."

"Malfoy." Theo inclined his head towards the other. "Never hurts to get ready ahead of schedule."

"Quite so. And you are...?"

"Harold Figg. I'm a friend of Theo's. Who are you?"

The blonde boy blinked, looking from Harry to Theo and back again. "Draco Malfoy. I don't think I'm familiar with your family, Figg."

"Wouldn't expect you to be!" Harry replied cheerfully. Theo had to bite back a snicker at Malfoy's bewildered expression. "We tend not to have much to do with folks who aren't already our friends. So, what house are you aiming for, Draco?"

"Slytherin, of course." The boy responded automatically, though he was clearly still trying to process Harry's previous statement.

"Ah, you'll probably be housemates with Theo, then, unless I can convince him to try for Ravenclaw with me."

"Not a chance," Theo immediately shot back. "You read as many books in a month as I do over the course of a full year." Even as he said it, though, he couldn't help but wonder. Theo had spent his entire life being conditioned to expect to become a Slytherin, along with the others of his wealthy, pureblood circle. But the past few years of being close with Harry and the girls had opened his eyes to a world of new possibilities.

"Well, Ravenclaw's not so bad," Malfoy eventually got around to saying, before unleashing his usual sneer. "Certainly better than Hufflepuff or Gryffindor."

"My parents were in Gryffindor." Harry said idly, watching with bemusement as a enchanted tape measure went around his kneecaps. "I don't remember them, but everyone in my family says they were good people."

Theo jumped in before Malfoy could say anything derogatory towards his friend. "What did you think of the latest Quidditch League match?"

That, fortunately, was enough of a distraction for the blonde, who chattered on about different teams until his measurements were finished. Both Theo and Harry offered him polite goodbyes when the other boy left, but then the latter turned to look at the former with an incredulous expression.

"He's the one you have to kow-tow to at all those pureblood parties? Merlin and Morgana, no wonder you like hanging out we me and the girls instead!"

"That is what I've been saying for a few years now," Theo rolled his eyes, smiling.

Once the enchanted measuring tapes were finished and their orders added to Madam Malkin's cue, the pair headed off with Nanna Figg to one of Harry's favorite places in the world: Flourish and Blotts. Not only was it his best source of new reading material, but it was also where he'd first met Theo and created a great friendship.

The boys split up to get their school texts, each retrieving two copies of half the list each. Afterwards, Nanna Figg agreed to get them three leisure books as well, prompting Harry to immediately dive back into the stacks while Theo strolled along after him. While debating between a tome comparing types of written magic and a new adventure novel, they encountered a bushy-haired girl walking around with an armload of books almost as tall as she was.

"Do you need a hand with those?" Theo asked, warily eying the pile when it tilted a bit.

"Hm? Oh, no thank you, I can manage." The girl didn't even glance at him, still browsing the shelves.

"You do know they have shopping bags with extension charms," Harry mentioned, recognizing a fellow bookworm. "Just ask at the front desk."

That got her attention, and the girl beamed a thank you at him before hurrying off.

"Just think," joked Theo. "It won't be much longer before you're in Ravenclaw and get to be surrounded by people just as book-mad as her and you."

"I know, I can't wait!" Harry grinned back.

After _finally_ dragging the boys back out of the store, Nanna Figg led them around Diagon to get their other supplies, wands, and as a special treat because the stop at Ollivander's took so long, a new pet for each of them.

By the end of the day, Harry wasn't sure whether to be more delighted with his new books, his holly and hippogryph-wing feather wand, or the beautiful snowy owl, newly named Hedwig, who'd made herself quite a home in his room.

Theo didn't have any such dilemma. The white and grey magical siamese cat whom he'd dubbed Sun Tzu was by far the best new addition to his household.

-N5WW-

"Ready to set off on your new adventure, Harry?" Remus asked with a grin, ruffling the boy's wild hair.

"You bet, Uncle Moony!" Holding tight to Hedwig's cage with one hand and his Nanna's arm with the other, Harry was practically skipping towards the magical barrier he'd heard so much about over the years. Stepping through, the three of them emerged onto Platform Nine and Three Quarters, exchanging the busy muggle crowd for an even busier one of witches and wizards seeing off their children.

"My word, is that Augusta?" Nanna Figg murmured as they maneuvered towards the train. "So it is! Would you mind if we went and said hello, Harry love?"

"Not at all!" That said, they shifted destinations, coming to a stop beside a woman with a vulture hat and large red purse delivering some last minute instructions to the round-cheeked boy beside her.

"...and for Merlin's sake, don't lose that bloody toad again!"

"Augusta!"

Startled, the stately woman turned around, her eyebrows shooting up at the sight of Harry's Nanna. "Goodness, Arabella, I haven't seen you in years! What in the world are you doing here of all places?"

"Just coming to see my boy off," she answered, giving Harry a fond pat on the shoulder. "Much as you yourself, I should imagine. Harry, this is an old friend of mine, Augusta Longbottom. We played together as girls before she left for Hogwarts, and her son and daughter-in-law were good friends with your parents."

"Pleasure to meet you, Madam Longbottom!" Harry chirped, dropping into a short bow. "My name's Harold Figg, thought I suppose I'll have to start going by Harry Potter again after tonight."

Augusta's eyebrows just about rose off her face. "Mister Potter. It's been many years since I last saw you. Ah, I doubt you'll remember one another, but this is my grandson, Neville." She gave the other boy a sharp nudge, prompting him to bow to Harry and Nanna Figg as well.

Remus gave a slight cough, gently intruding onto the conversation. "I hate to interrupt ladies, boys, but it won't be long now before the train leaves." That said, he pulled Harry's shrunken truck from his pocket, and with a wand-tap returned the thing to its proper size.

"Quite right! Neville, I expect you to write directly about your Sorting tonight."

"Yes Gran."

"Goodbye, Harry, and send Hedwig with a letter as soon as you can - I want to hear all about your exciting first days!"

"Of course, Nanna! Love you."

"Love you too, Harry." The pair hugged for a good minute, before Harry gave the same treatment to Remus, then grabbed his luggage and hopped aboard the Express. He started to head down the train to try and find Theo, before noticing that Neville was standing still and looking quite lost.

"Do you want to come with me to find my friend?"

Surprised, the chubby boy looked at him with wide eyes. "D- do you mean that?"

"Sure! Merlin knows I was worried enough about starting school without knowing anyone. Come on, even if we can't find Theo, we'll snag an empty compartment to share."

"O-okay, thanks!"

"Don't mention it."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Theo had just settled into an empty compartment when Harry arrived, with a stranger in tow. The pair stowed their trunks and got comfortable, with introductions being passed around. Neville got noticeably nervous when Theo's last name was mentioned, but both the other boys eventually got him to relax a bit.

With five minutes until the train left, a large mass of redheads poured through the barrier, prompting Harry to stand up and open the window.

"Ginny!" He called, attracting the smallest Weasley's attention. They waved to one another, with the girl pointing out her friend's position to her next-oldest brother. Not long afterward, Ron stumbled into their compartment.

"Okay if I-?"

"'Course it is, have a seat." As soon as Ron got his breath back, both he and Harry called out some last-minute goodbyes to the group on the platform, which Nanna Figg and Remus had both joined. When the train finally started to pull away, Ginny ran after them, waving until she couldn't be seen anymore.

-N5WW-

Neville wondered just what in the world he was doing.

Sitting with the Boy-Who-Lived was one thing, but sitting in close proximity to the son of a traditionally Slytherin house? Even the added presence of a Weasley brother couldn't quite wipe away his anxiety about the matter. It didn't help that the Weasley in question seemed to be a bit on edge as well.

"Um, er," Neville stuttered, managing to draw the attention of all four other boys in the compartment. "H-how do you all k-know each other?"

"Bookstore," Harry and Nott said in sync, the former with a grin and the latter with a sigh.

"I only just met them a month ago myself," Ron confided in the nervous boy. "Figg here's best friends with my little sister, has been for years."

"Oh."

"Ah," Harry coughed, looking a bit sheepish. "Actually, Ron, from now on I'm going to have to go back to being called 'Potter' rather than 'Figg'."

The redhead blinked at him. "...I'm sorry?"

Nott snorted, reaching over to lightly punch Harry's shoulder. "You've just been making that explanation shorter and shorter every time you go through it, haven't you?" The sheepish expression deepened.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up a tick," Ron exclaimed, waving his hands through the air. "You mean you're Harry _Potter?_ _The_ Harry Potter?"

"Yeah."

"...Does Ginny know? Because she's had a crush on you for years."

Nott outright laughed as Harry winced. "Yeah, she, well, she yelled at me for a good ten minutes when I told her and Theo and Luna last week. Didn't much like the fact I hadn't owned up to it in the last five years..."

" _None_ of us much liked the fact you hadn't told us beforehand. Me especially!" Nott made an exaggerated hurt expression. "Don't you realize that if my father knew I'd managed to accidentally make friends with the Boy-Who-Lived, he probably would've let me come over to your house far more often? Which would've gotten me out of those ruddy pureblood parties, too!"

Harry schooled his features into a suitably abashed look, though his eyes with lit up with amusement. "Of course, Theo, my apologies for not rescuing you sooner from the likes of Malfoy and Parkinson." The serious expressions lasted for all of another ten seconds before both boys broke down into giggles.

Neville stared at them. And again wondered what in the world he was doing there.

A little while later, as he and Ron were playing exploding snap while the other two boys read some books they'd brought along, the door to their compartment suddenly slid open to admit a dark-skinned newcomer.

"Merlin's beard, do you two realize how long I've been looking for you?" The new boy plopped down in-between Harry and Nott, forcing to pair to scoot aside a bit. "Malfoy's holding court in another compartment and being even more insufferable than usual."

"So you decided to come hide with us instead, then?" Nott asked dryly.

"In a word, yes."

"Figures. Weasley, Longbottom, this is perpetual-pain-in-the-arse is Blaise Zabini. Do exercise those manners of yours and say hello, Blaise."

"Hi," Zabini said to them. Ron mumbled back a greeting while Neville simply nodded in reply. The other two were unable to return to their books as Zabini insisted on conversing with them for, as he put it, 'some sorely needed entertainment'. When he managed to get Harry going on about the benefits of researched biographies while Nott argued in favor of primary sources, Neville found himself smiling slightly as well. Ron merely rolled his eyes and called the whole lot mental.

The food trolley arrived a couple more hours into the trip, and the trio of friends pooled their money to buy enough sweets for all five of them to munch on. That went a fair ways to winning over Ron's goodwill, and as he accepted a chocolate frog and a cauldron cake Neville figured the gesture did the same with him as well. The compartment's atmosphere became more relaxed, as all the boys chatted together about all sorts of topics. Harry even went out of his way to ask Neville about his hobbies, and the resulting conversation about gardening set both of them to grinning like loons.

It all came to an unpleasant halt when the door slid open again to reveal a boy with platinum blonde hair, a pair of scowling, larger ones standing behind and to either side of him. After taking a moment to scan the occupants of the compartment, the blonde folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Zabini. Nott. And Figg," he added. "What are you all doing here with a couple of blood traitors?"

"Enjoying ourselves before we get to Hogwarts," Harry answered. Despite the fact that he was wearing a relaxed smile, Neville could see the annoyance in his green eyes. "What about you, Draco? Going around greeting old friends and meeting new ones?"

"Hardly. I've heard that Harry Potter is starting at Hogwarts this year and I want to track him down before anyone else does."

The compartment was conspicuously silent. Malfoy didn't notice.

"So, if you all see him, I expect you to send word to me immediately." With that, the blonde swept off with his bodyguards to continue the search. Theo extended a foot to slid the door shut as soon as they were gone.

A moment later, four of the five boys burst into laughter, leaving Blaise thoroughly bewildered and asking what was so funny.

-N5WW-

Remus returned to Number Five to have dinner with Arabella that evening, as both of them wondered how Harry's train ride had gone and whether he'd made any new friends before arriving at Hogwarts.

"I wouldn't be surprised," the woman sighed with a rueful grin. "If he simply went and found Theo, and the both of them spent the entire trip with their noses buried in a book apiece!"

Her guest winced. "That might be partially my fault."

"Don't be daft, Remus, we all share some of the blame for starting his initial love of the things."

"I suppose so. Minerva, I know at least, wanted to foster any inclination he might have gotten from Lily with regards to studying, as opposed to James and his habit of winging it."

Arabella snorted, placing their dishes in the sink for later washing. It was then that the both of them heard a voice out in the living room.

Moving quickly, the pair got to the fireplace in record time, eager to hear what the bemused-looking Minerva had to say.

"Ravenclaw," she announced. "I think we overdid it with the books."

-N5WW-

Theo woke up to Sun Tzu rubbing against his face. Sitting up with a grin, he cuddled the purring cat close, studying his surroundings with a sharper eye than he had the night before.

Mostly filled by the identical four-poster beds, the dormitory still found space to squeeze a personal bookshelf in for each boy, along with the hanging tapestries depicting inspirational quotes depicted in Ravenclaw blue and bronze. What stonework was visible of the walls was painted over with the covers of all sorts of books, both well-known magical stories and, surprisingly, some classic works from the muggle world.

A slipper suddenly whacked him in the head. Grin shifting instantaneously to a scowl, Theo turned and glared at Harry, who was draped halfway off his own bed, second slipper in hand.

"Morning!" The other boy practically chirped. Sitting nearby on her perch, Hedwig ruffled her feathers and mimicked the sound, which got Sun to meow back as well. "You're outnumbered, Theo, you might as well say it back."

"Oh, very well, good morning to the lot of you." Theo rolled his eyes, but soon returned to grinning.

On the other beds, their roommates were beginning to stir as well. Anthony Goldstein was the first one to actually sit up, rubbing at his eyes before they brightened with excitement. Terry Boot followed, with Micheal Corner rousing not long afterward. They all unknowingly copied Theo in taking a minute to more fully study and appreciate the room around them, before Harry set off the charge to get out of bed and washed up for the day.

Half an hour later saw all five boys gathered down in the elegant common room, admiring the included library as they waited for the prefect who'd promised to walk them all down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Guess this means you're just as much of a bookworm as me after all!" Harry whispered gleefully in Theo's ear. The other eleven year old made to give him a snarky reply, but paused when he noticed the handful of older students also in the room giving the two of them some rather un-subtle stares. It occurred to him, not for the first time, that being the perceived best friend of the famous Boy-Who-Lived was going to bring an uncomfortable level of scrutiny down on his head.

Harry caught sight of his grimace, and sighed. "Noticed them, did you?"

"Yeah... When did you realize they were doing that?"

"Last night," Harry said ruefully, tugging at the bangs of his shaggy hair. "I've had a bit of practice ignoring the looks, at least, since I always got stared at for being barmy-Harold-Figg back home, but something tells me this is only going to get worse."

Theo considered the problem for a moment. "Well... Provided she's still willing to hang out with your strange self next year, I guarantee Ginny's glares of Doom ought to be enough to chase most of them away." He grinned when Harry had to muffle his loud snickers.

Being Sorted into Ravenclaw rather than Slytherin had been a big surprise for the pureblood boy, but he was inclined to think that being in it with Harry would suit him just fine.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Declaration: I. Never. Abandon. **Anything.**_

Chapter 5

"I admit, I am honestly surprised she didn't get Sorted in with us," Theo muttered into Harry's ear during their Charms class, watching as Hermione Granger, once again, shot her hand into the air to answer Professor Flitwick's question.

"Smart people wind up in every house," his friend replied, noting down what the Gryffindor girl said when their teacher agreed it was the correct response.

"Yes, but at least in ours, their smarts are _appreciated."_

The derision in his voice got Harry to look up with a frown. "What do you mean?"

"Just look at the other Gryffindors." It didn't take long at all for the dark-haired boy to take not of what his friend had seen - the scowls, the scoffs, the rolled eyes of Granger's housemates. Sadly, Harry understood all too well what was happening.

"She's just, alienating herself more with every answer she gives, no matter that they're right or all the points she's earning," he murmured, grimacing. "Theo, we have to do something."

"I was afraid you'd say that... Shall we track Ron and Neville down this afternoon?"

-N5WW-

"No," the redhead immediately stated, eyes wide as saucepans. "No way, no thank you, not gonna happen-"

"Come on, Ron, you can't be _that_ heartless!"

"It's self-preservation! Tell them, Neville!"

The chubbier of the two Gryffindors winced. "...she is really bossy..."

Harry threw his hands up in despair. "Fine, then! If you two intend to be useless, I'll just have to pull out my secret weapon!"

With that, he stomped away. Both Ron and Neville stared after him, before turning their bewildered expressions in Theo's direction.

He shrugged. "No idea, mates."

-N5WW-

 _Dear Ginny,_

 _I've encountered a conundrum I wanted to enlist Ron to assist with, but he's being decidedly unhelpful about the matter. Do you by any chance have something I could hold over his head to get him to cooperate? Or would I be better off asking Fred and George?_

 _-Harry_

-N5WW-

 _Dear Harry,_

 _You can't just say you want my help and then not tell me what_ _for_ _, you clod._

 _-Ginny_

-N5WW-

 _Dear Gin,_

 _Sorry. Was in a bit of a hurry, earlier._

 _Anyway, there's a muggleborn Gryffindor by the name of Hermione Granger who really should've been Sorted into Ravenclaw. By which I mean she reads more than_ _I_ _do, and you know that's saying something. Trouble is, no one in Gryffindor seems keen on the idea of befriending the girl - Ron looked horrified when I simply suggested striking up a conversation with her at breakfast._

 _I'd talk to her myself, but for some reason she avoids us Ravenclaws (I suspect it's a matter of avoiding the pasture fence so as not to see how green the grass on the other side is). My current plan is to force Ron and/or Neville (I've mentioned him in my previous letters, haven't I?) to be civil towards her, and hopefully a little bit of social interaction will get her to ease off on the high and mighty attitude._

 _Or something like that, anyway._

 _And since Theo pointed out that I will inevitably need a follow-up if not an outright back-up plan, I'm going to owl order some books on psychology, too..._

 _But, back to my first question: is there anything you've got that I can use to force Ron's cooperation?_

 _-Harry_

-N5WW-

 _Dear Dummy._

 _Just give me some time to scheme._

 _-Ginny_

-N5WW-

Two mornings after Ginny's final, cryptic letter, Harry and Theo were on their way to class when Ron ran up to them in the hall, face redder than his hair.

"What did you do?!" He hissed at Harry. "Hermione Granger sat next to me at breakfast and asked when Ginny's birthday was, because she wanted to 'return the favor'. What favor? What did you put my sister up to doing?!"

The other boy could only shrug. "I have no idea what favor, Ron, because I didn't put her up to doing one - I didn't put her up to doing anything at all, actually, I just told her about Hermione and said I wanted to help somehow. What Ginny did after that, I was in no way involved with."

Ron continued to glare at him. "I don't believe you."

"Well, that's your problem," Theo jumped in. "But you probably ought to be worried about a more immediate one..."

"What?"

"Aren't you supposed to be at the greenhouses for Herbology in a few minutes?" His words caused Ron to go pale, and a moment later saw the Gryffindor sprinting back the way he'd come.

"That was mean," Harry commented as he and his friend continued on to the Transfiguration classroom. Theo didn't look particularly insulted.

-N5WW-

 _Ginny,_

 _Am I allowed to ask what you did? Because Ron is convinced it's my fault. He doesn't know what it was either, but he still thinks I'm to blame._

 _-Harry_

-N5WW-

 _Dear Clod,_

 _Of course you can ask - I don't mind showing off. I wrote the twins and asked them to find out Hermione's birthday, by whatever means necessary. Since it's only a couple of days off, I wrote to her, explaining that I've got friends at Hogwarts who mentioned how big of an arse my brother is being and that I wanted to apologize on his behalf. Long story short, you and Theo are now in charge of throwing her a surprise birthday party this Saturday - I've got a list of the muggle foods she likes and the sorts of practical magical items she's read about but doesn't have yet._

 _Don't mess it up. I got her to promise to keep up our letters, so if it goes badly, I'll Know._

-N5WW-

When Harry showed Theo the letter and accompanying lists that night, the other boy slowly shook his head back and forth. "Now that, that is scary. I know everyone in Ginny's family go into Gryffindor, but she could be groomed to become a _great_ Slytherin."

"Why not Ravenclaw? We got you to change what House you thought you were destined for, why not Ginny too?"

"You're barmy, Figg, she'd be a hurricane in this House - unstoppable and terrifying, leaving the rest of us to clean up the chaos later." Harry shot his friend an odd look. "What?"

"...I think getting you to read _Isacc's Storm_ might have been a bit of a mistake..."

-N5WW-

Hermione had no idea what she was doing.

Part of her mind screamed that, no matter how nice she seemed in her letter, Ginny was still a Weasley, a younger sibling of Fred and George, who may very well be planning a long-distance prank in concert with her brothers. The other part, the one that had been feeling exceptionally lonely after only two weeks at Hogwarts, squashed down the doubt and kept walking.

When she arrived at the designated room, Hermione took a deep breath, and pushed open the door.

"SURPRISE!"

Freezing in place, she stared about in shock.

The small room was decorated with pastel streamers of pink and blue, hovering balls of golder light dancing around. A table set against the back wall held a huge assortment of snacks, including all the muggle finger foods she'd grown up with as well as more standard magical fare. Chairs were set up in a circle beside an enchanted music player, while the lone settee had a small stack of brightly wrapped packages sitting on it. And standing before everything were a handful of students her age in both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw uniforms, looking at her with hopeful grins.

Hermione burst into tears.

The other children began to panic, some of them asking what they did wrong, others just flat out apologizing, a few laying blame on someone else, but Hermione ignored them all, eventually managing to speak: "Thank you, thank you, it's fine, it's all wonderful, thank you..."

Eventually, after being given a glass of water and ushered to the clear spot on the settee, she calmed down enough to explain that no one besides her parents had ever cared enough to throw a party for her.

"You can thank Ginny Weasley, when you next write her," one boy said, standing beside her. Hermione was more than a little surprised to realize it was Harry Potter. "She's the one who hit upon the idea and told me to set it up."

"I will - and thank you, too, all of you."

After that, the others seemed a bit more at ease, handing over their presents with awkward offers of friendship. Lavender Brown and the Patil twins had pooled both their money and their ideas to get her a book about hair and skin care, while Micheal Corner went the surefire route of a gift certificate to Flourish and Blotts. Neville Longbottom practically threw the hand-wrapped miniature seed and garden kit at her, following Ron Weasley dropping a package of sugar-free chocolate into her hands. Theodore Nott offered up a complete set of books on magical nobility and etiquette through the ages, along with a letter opener designed to look like a miniature sword.

"That one's actually from my friend Blaise, in Slytherin," the boy said. "But he didn't want to risk anyone seeing him come to a birthday party for a Gryffindor - bad for his image and all that rot."

Hermione just nodded, before moving on to the last box. Inside, she found another gift certificate, this time to a pet shoppe she vaguely recalled seeing in Diagon Alley. Harry was grinning when she looked back up.

"I figured, since you don't have a familiar yet, you might like to get one," he explained. "That voucher covers one animal and half of whatever supplies you purchase. I recommend getting a cat, personally."

Theodore snorted. "Can't possibly imagine why."

Harry promptly kicked him in the shin, and the other boy's overdramatics at the "pain" set everyone else off giggling.

Presents set aside, the group jumped into a game of magical chairs, inciting more laughter and ridiculousness. Hermione gradually got over her self-consciousness as they progressed, even after she was beaten out and watched from the side. Three rounds resulted in a win each for her, Parvati, and Theo before they called it quits. Everyone loaded up on food and broke apart to play some muggle board games, and Hermione had to actually let Harry take the lead with explaining rules since she'd not played them in years.

Fred and George Weasley showed up after a while, carrying between them a large cake decorated to look like a book. Apparently, Ginny had schemed at home too, convincing her mother to bake it and send the thing to school via Professor McGonagall's Floo.

"And we swear, Prankster's Honor-"

"-we did nothing to rig it on the way here!"

Amazingly enough, the twins were being honest, and everyone got to enjoy the strawberry cake without their skin changing color or anything else.

With curfew approaching, the Ravenclaws and Gryffindors parted ways to return to their respective towers, and Hermione was quite touched that her yearmates didn't immediately distance themselves from her. Even up in their dorm, Lavender and Parvati promised to go through the self-care book with her sometime, before exchanging 'goodnights'.

Hermione fell asleep with a smile on her face.


End file.
